A Cloud of Faithful Witnesses

A Commentarie vpon the 11. Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes.

Now Faith is the ground of things which are hoped for: and the euidence of things not seene.

COncerning Faith, 2. points are necessary to be knowne of euery Christian; the doctrine & the practise of it: the whole doctrine of faith (being grounded and gathered out of the word of God) is comprised in the Creede, commonly called the Apostles Creede: which being already by vs expounded▪ it followeth in order (next after the doctrine) to lay downe also the practise of faith: for which purpose wee haue chosen this 11. chapter to the Hebrewes as being a portion of Scripture, wherein the saide practise of faith is most excellently and at large set downe.

This chapter depends on the former, thus: [The Coherence.] We may reade in the former chapter, that many Iewes hauing receiued the faith, and giuen their names to Christ, did afterward fall away: therefore towards the end of the chapter, there is added a notable exhortation tending to perswade the Hebrewes, to perseuer in faith vnto the end, as also to suffer patiently what euer shall befall them in the profession of it: p. 2and to vrge the exhortation, there are diuerse reasons, not needefull to be alleadged; for they concerne not the present purpose.

Now, in this chapter hee continues the same exhortation: and the whole chapter (as I take it) is nothing else in substance, but one reason to vrge the former exhortation to perseuerance in faith; and the reason is drawne from the excellencie of faith: for this chapter doth diuers waies set down what an excellent gift of God faith is: his whole scope therfore is manifest to be nothing else, but to vrge thē to perseuer & continue in that faith, proued at large to be so excellent a thing: & indeed he could not bring a better argument to moue them to loue and hold fast their faith, then by perswading them of the excellencie of it. For common reason bids vs not onely chuse, but hold fast that that is excellent.

Out of this coherence we may learn in a word, that perseuerance in faith is a matter not of ordinarie necessitie nor of mean excellēcy, to the vrging wherof the author of this epistle vseth so large & so forcible an exhortation; in so much as, whereas ordinary exhortations occupy the roome of one or some few verses, this is continued through diuers chapters.

p. 2The parts of this whole chapter are two:

1. A generall description of Faith from the first verse to the fourth.

2. An illustration or declaration of that description, by a large rehearsall of manifold examples of ancient and worthy men in the old testament: from the 4. verse to the end.

Of these two in order.

The description of Faith consists of three actions or effects of faith, set downe in three seuerall verses.

The first effect in the first verse, Faith makes things which are not (but only are hoped for) after a sort to subsist and to be present with the beleeuer.

The 2. is in the 2. v: Faith makes a beleeuer approued of God.

The 3. in the 3. verse: Faith makes a man vnderstand & beleeue things incredible to sense and reason.

p. 3Of these effects in order.

Now Faith is the ground of things which are hoped for, & the euidence of things which are not seene. [Verse 1.]

This first verse containes the first effect in the description of faith, wherein first let vs see the true meaning of the words: Secondly, what instructions they do naturally yeeld vnto vs. For the meaning, wee must examine the words seuerally. Now faith

Faith in the word of God is specially of three sorts

Historicall,

Miraculous,

Iustifying or sauing faith.

1. Historicall faith, is not only a knowledge of the word, but an assent of the heart to the truth of it: and this faith is generall not onely to all men, good and bad, but euen to the diuels thēselues: Iames. 2.19. Thou beleeuest there is one God, thou doest well: the diuels also beleeue it & tremble. Now he that will beleeue out of the Scripture there is one God, he will beleeue historically any thing in the Scriptures.

2. Miraculous, or the faith of miracles: which is, An inward perswasion of the heart, wrought by some speciall instinct of the holy Ghost in some man, whereby hee is truly perswaded, that God will vse him as an instrument for the working of some miracles: this also is generall, both to elect and reprobate, Iudas had it with the rest of the Apostles.

p. 33. Sauing (commonly call'd Iustifying) faith: which is, A speciall perswasion, wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart of those that are effectually called, concerning their reconciliation and saluation by Christ.

Of these three sorts of faith, the third is principally meant, in this place. And although in the description, & ouer all the chapter, there are some things that agree to other faith then it; yet I say the generall scope in this chapter, is principally of that faith that saues a man. It becomes vs therefore to learne carefully the instructions that concerne the practice of this faith, for it is no lesse then a sauing faith.

p. 4Secondly, it is said; This faith is the ground or substance ▪ for the word signifieth both. The meaning is: things hoped for, as yet are not, and so haue no being nor substance. Now faith that beleeues the promises, and applieth them, that faith giues to these things which yet are not (after a sort) a substance or subsistence in the heart of the beleeuer: so that that thing which neuer had, nor yet hath a being in it selfe, by this faith hath a being in the heart of the beleeuer; this I take to be the true meaning.